Boxer Vasiliy Lomachenko glances back at Anthony Crolla after knocking him out in the fourth round of their WBA/WBO lightweight title bout on Friday night at Staples Center. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

Vasiliy Lomachenko, right, from Ukraine, knocks down Anthony Crolla, from Britain, in the fourth round of the WBA and WBO lightweight title boxing bout Friday, April 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Vasiliy Lomachenko, from Ukraine, left, moves away as referee Jack Reiss checks on Anthony Crolla, from Britain, during the third round of a WBA and WBO lightweight title boxing match at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Friday, April 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Referee Jack Reiss, right, stops the fight to check on boxer Anthony Crolla, from Britain during the third round of a WBA and WBO lightweight titles boxing match at Staples Center in Los Angeles Friday, April 12, 2019. Crolla couldn’t escape Lomachenko’s combinations on the ropes late in the third round, but made it to the bell at Reiss’ discretion. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Vasiliy Lomachenko, from Ukraine, left, is hit by Anthony Crolla, from Britain, in a WBA and WBO lightweight title boxing match at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Friday, April 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Vasiliy Lomachenko, right, from Ukraine, stands over Anthony Crolla, from Britain, during the fourth round of the WBA and WBO lightweight title boxing bout in Los Angeles on Friday, April 12, 2019. Lomachenko won the bout. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: Anthony Crolla is knocked out by Vasiliy Lomachenko during their WBA/WBO lightweight title bout at Staples Center on April 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

Vasiliy Lomachenko, from Ukraine, walks away after knocking down Anthony Crolla, from Britain, during the fourth round of the WBA and WBO lightweight title boxing bout in Los Angeles on Friday, April 12, 2019. At right referee Jack Reiss. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Referee Jack Reiss, right, checks on Anthony Crolla, of Britain, after Vasiliy Lomachenko knocked Crolla down during the fourth round of the WBA and WBO lightweight title boxing bout in Los Angeles on Friday, April 12, 2019. Lomachenko won the bout. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Anthony Crolla lies on the mat after Vasiliy Lomachenko knocked him down in the fourth round to defend his WBA and WBO lightweight titles at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Friday, April 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: Anthony Crolla is tended to by working staff after getting knocked out by Vasiliy Lomachenko during their WBA/WBO lightweight title bout at Staples Center on April 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: Anthony Crolla reacts after being knocked out by Vasiliy Lomachenko during their WBA/WBO lightweight title bout at Staples Center on April 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 12: Mike Alvarado is inspected by the umpire after beiong knocked out by Arnold Barboza Jr. during their NABF junior super lightweight title bout at Staples Center on April 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES — Vasiliy Lomachenko jumped onto the ropes with his hands in the air. He was quickly waived off and told to keep fighting.

The Friday night celebration was premature, but it didn’t take long for Lomachenko to raise his hands again in victory.

After Anthony Crolla survived a standing 10 count, the British boxer took a right hook to the temple that sent him face first onto the canvas.

This time it was for certain. There was no getting up from that. Lomachenko retained his WBO/WBA lightweight belts with a fourth-round technical knockout before an announced crowd of 10,101 at Staples Center.

Most fighters thank God, family or fans during their in-ring interview, but Lomachenko isn’t like most fighters, that’s obvious from his flawless footwork and otherworldly punches from all angles.

Lomachenko (13-1, 10 knockouts) made sure to thank the doctor who operated on his right shoulder last year. The Ukrainian fighter feels like himself again.

After what Lomachenko did Friday, fight fans might also want to thank Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who healed arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

The fight nearly ended toward the end of the third round, when Crolla nearly fell through the ropes because of a swarming Lomachenko. With nowhere else to go, referee Jack Reiss was forced to start counting. That’s when the confusion started.

Lomachenko ran to the ropes thinking he had won. Crolla shook his head in disappointment thinking he had lost.

That set the scene for Lomachenko’s sensational knockout, with Rams coach Sean McVay watching a few feet away from ringside with his girlfriend, Veronika Khomyn, a Ukrainian native, like Lomachenko.

With Lomachenko back at full strength, he’s hoping to land a megabout in the near future. The Ukrainian wizard called out Los Angeles native Mikey Garcia.

Crolla (34-7-3, 13 KOs), who entered the fight as an 18-1 underdog, struggled to throw punches against the quick hands of Lomachenko.

“My pride is more hurt than my body as I wanted to give it my best, but he’s just phenomenal,” Crolla said of Lomachenko. “I knew where I was when the shot hit me on the top of my head, but I just couldn’t get up.”

UNDERCARD HIGHLIGHTS

Arnold Barboza Jr. got the show started after delivering a sensational third-round knockout against Mike Alvarado.

The South El Monte native connected on a vicious one-two combination to drop Alvarado near the ropes. Alvarado attempted to get up but immediately fell a second time as the referee stopped the bout 49 seconds into the third round.

“To perform like I did in front of my hometown fans, it doesn’t get better than that,” Barboza said.

Barboza, 27, is now in line to receive his first title shot, potentially against WBC junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez.

“That was a good fight, and now I want Jose Ramirez,” Barboza said. “I want Maurice Hooker. That’s what I want in my future. Alvarado is a tough guy, and I stopped him in three rounds. Hopefully, this performance will catapult me to a world title opportunity.”

In the co-main event, Gilberto Ramirez had no trouble in his light heavyweight debut against Tommy Karpency.

Ramirez, the Mexican southpaw who resides in Los Angeles, pummeled the much smaller Karpency throughout the bout. Karpency told his corner he feared he had broken his ribs and the bout was stopped after the fourth round.

“He hit me with a great shot to the body in the first 30 seconds, and it impacted me the rest of the fight,” Karpency said. “He’s no better, no worse, than the other champions I’ve fought at 175 pounds.”

Gilbert Manzano grew up reading the Pasadena Star-News, and now he’s the Chargers beat writer for the Southern California News Group. Manzano moved back to Pasadena after working three years for the Las Vegas Review-Journal as a Raiders and boxing reporter. The Cal State Northridge graduate spent two seasons as a breaking news editor for NFL.com. The Spanish-speaking lefty likes to go on runs with his dog, Cam.